Lacking some of the official support (the city hall and the state government have been essential for the realization of big festivals in Pernambuco in the last decade), the production of the Rec Beat festival keeps on moving and confirms fine acts for this year's edition. Naná Vasconcelos, Zeca Baleiro, Mestre Ambrósio, Devotos and Funk Como Le Gusta are some of the artists that will be side by side with the very alternative, Seattle-based Mudhoney.

The Rec Beat is free of charge and always happens during carnival on a stage built in the middle of a street where local folk groups (maracatus and frevos) parade. Along the years, the festival became responsible for promoting local acts, which was previously done by another festival, Abril Pro Rock, but the latter slowly started presenting more artists from outside of Pernambuco and the both switched positions.

Producer Antonio Gutierrez hopes to define the schedule this week, and says that it may be necessary to shorten the length of the event - in 2000, it gathered around 10 thousand people a night, for eight nights - so as to keep the engines working well for one of the most democratic carnival parties in Brazil.